Yoga Therapy and Research Symposiums

Yoga therapy is a relatively recent innovation; while texts on the therapeutic applications of yoga exist, yoga was traditionally taught to promote optimal stages of spiritual attunement. The field has grown remarkably in the past decade, informed by recent advances in medicine and spurred on by increasing consumer demand for complementary and alternative treatment modalities. If you are an interested yoga practitioner, yoga therapist or instructor, or simply curious, two upcoming conferences will help you learn more about the exciting frontiers in yoga’s evolving role in the US healthcare system and the scientific community.

The Symposium on Yoga Therapy and Research (SYTAR), Sept. 1-4, 2011 at Asilomar Retreat Center in Monterey, CA, is a 3-day conference chock-full of experiential sessions with renowned yoga therapy professionals and scientists, discussions about setting professional standards, presentations on yoga research and community-based initiatives being undertaken by yoga therapists across the country, and multiple options for morning practices.

The Symposium on Yoga Research (SYR), Sept. 23-25, 2011 at Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, was launched last year in response to the increasing demand for a community and forum for yoga researchers and interested individuals to collaborate and share findings. This groundbreaking meeting is the first US symposium to exclusively focus on the scientific research of yoga. Last year’s conference was a great success; John Kepner, IAYT’s President, shares that while they projected only 40 would attend, the conference maxed at at over 200 attendees. This year promises to be equally exciting with keynotes from luminaries in the emerging field of yoga research.

As the field evolves and the potential for yoga therapists to effectively interface with medical professionals and insurance companies grows ever stronger, the need for high and credible professional standards is paramount, and an area at which the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT) has proven at the forefront.

Increasing the scientific knowledge base of yoga’s benefits (and contraindications) is also greatly needed; with scientific validation and understanding of its benefits, yoga would prove an even greater accepted treatment modality and enjoy reimbursement by insurance companies, similar to well-validated programs such as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction.

Tosca Park, a 200-hour Kripalu Yoga instructor and 500-hour Integrative Yoga Therapist, is a doctoral student in Clinical Health Psychology at the University of Connecticut, where she conducts research on yoga, mindfulness, and health with her mentor, Dr. Crystal Park, and collaborators. Prior to UConn Tosca spent five years as a research intern and project manager with Kripalu's Institute for Extraordinary Living, an organization devoted to the scientific study of yoga-based curricula. She holds bachelor's degrees from Reed College and SUNY Empire State College in history and health psychology, respectively, and has more than 2,000 hours of training in yoga, Ayurveda, and the mind-body connection.

Disclaimer: External links to e-commence websites may generate income for YogaBasics through affiliate programs or other advertising programs. Products that are reviewed or mentioned on our site may have been provided by the manufacturer free of cost.

There are 2 comments so far

What a well written article! An intriguing development in our field is that the military has become increasing interested in complementary and alternative medicine, especially Yoga. The Samueli Institute, which manages research projects in this area for the military, will be sponsoring a common interest community session on Yoga for military and veteran populations at SYTAR (for practitioners) and a special interest group meeting on this at SYR (for researchers). and Tosca Braun herself will be hosting a SPIG on Yoga for weight management at SYR.

November Giveaway

Our Yoga Books

Check out our yoga books: Yoga for Beginners takes you through all the basics of practicing yoga and then teaches you the poses in the context of a yoga practice sequence. Yoga Class guides you through eight lessons to learn 30 of the most commonly used poses while incorporating yogic philosophy and principles of alignment.

New to Yoga?

To get the most out of our site, we suggest you take some time to explore before jumping into the practice. Browse our yoga 101 section for general info on the history and types of yoga, then start exploring asanas the physical postures used in hatha yoga. Remember to breathe and always start your yoga practice with a brief meditation. If you are new to yoga, please read our Yoga for Beginner's page

Ahimsa / Non-Violence

Ahimsa, the yogic practice of non violence must be adhered to when engaging in the practice of hatha yoga. Respect your body's limitations and inner wisdom, if something feels wrong or dangerous, please do not do it.
Please consult your health care practitioner before starting a yoga, pranayama or other exercise program.

Yogic Wisdom

These days, my practice is teaching me to embrace imperfection: to have compassion for all the ways things haven't turned out as I planned, in my body and in my life – for the ways things keep falling apart, and failing, and breaking down. It's less about fixing things, and more about learning to be present for exactly what is.